“How do I fit swim training around my busy work schedule?”

Swim coach Cassie Patten has great advice for a busy paramedic who has signed up for a 15km swim

“I am a shift worker and have no idea how to make a training plan work around my shift patterns. I work in the Emergency Services as a paramedic. My shifts run over 15 weeks and are a mix of 12-hour days, nights and late start shifts. Trying to follow a training plan is really hard.

This year I have entered the Dock2Dock 15k. Other than being ‘sensible’ and having a decent amount of months before the event, is there a recommended approach to training when your mind and body may very well be fatigued from shift work? I did the Oceanman 10k in Cyprus last November and just had to be as forgiving to myself as possible. If I was fatigued, then I’d change my swim to suit. It did make me really understand my body and how to treat it. Thanks.” Carl

Cassie’s answer

Firstly, massive respect for the work you do as a paramedic! That’s no small feat, and juggling that with training for a 15k open water swim is tough. I understand how tricky it must be to weave structured training into a demanding schedule.

Training for events when already tired from work is hard so it’s about being as proactive as possible in structuring sessions around your working week plus listening to your body and adapting accordingly.

Here are a few tips and ideas that might help:

1. Ditch the rigid weekly plan. Instead, think in training blocks. For example, over a two-week span you may aim to swim six sessions. Aim to swim a mixture of: two endurance, two technique/recovery and two interval/ threshold workouts. That way, if a brutal night shift wipes you out, you’ve still got a flexible framework to fall back on.
2. Train by feel, not just schedule. If you’re exhausted, it’s okay to swap a tough session for a gentle recovery swim – or even a nap. Fatigue + training = injury waiting to happen. Be kind to yourself and don’t play catch up. If you’ve missed a session it has gone, don’t try and squeeze it back in the next week.
3. Use shorter sessions when needed. Even 20–30mins of focused work (drills, tempo efforts, or technique) can be effective, especially if you’re tight on time or energy. Plus, you will feel better for doing something rather than nothing.
4. Prioritise quality sleep and hydration. It’s easy to forget but good sleep = better recovery = better swims.
5. Speak to a coach. I write training plans for people like yourself. What my swimmers do is tell me what their goal is and I fit it into their schedule for them.

Training for 15k is a great goal, remember what matters most is consistency over time, not perfection every week. You’ve got this!